Program Description

The PhD program in Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication (ATEC) is designed for those who wish to engage in deep scholarship or to develop artistic, cultural or commercial applications of digital technology and emerging media. With a diverse group of faculty and a curriculum that integrates scholarly study with creative practice, ATEC cultivates creative scholars, scholarly practitioners and interdisciplinary researchers.

ATEC PhD students have backgrounds in a variety of relevant fields and are grouped into transdisciplinary cohorts for their first year of coursework, where they investigate foundational theories, questions and methods that underlie the study of Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication. Additional coursework is used to practice methods and explore individual interests, including up to 15 hours in courses from other schools at UT Dallas.

PhD students are expected to participate in the rich, intellectual life of ATEC, including the Dean’s Colloquium speaker series and a vibrant lab and studio culture.

Located in the Edith O’Donnell Arts and Technology Building, ATEC is home to a number of research labs and studios embracing the service of creating new knowledge and identifying new horizons of research and creative practice. ATEC research teams and laboratories are engaged in innovative practices in the domains of: cultural sciences, data visualization and representation, modeling and simulation, virtual environments, emerging media and communication, game studies and sound design.

Career Opportunities

While academia represents an important professional avenue for ATEC PhD graduates, industry presents numerous career opportunities in such fields as design, research and development for new media, education, communication and information technologies.

Program Description

The program leading to the PhD in Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication is designed both for students wishing to teach arts-and-technology-related courses in colleges and universities and those who wish to develop new artistic, cultural or commercial applications of digital technology/emerging media. This program emphasizes the fusion of creative with critical thinking and theory with practice. Students seeking a PhD in Arts, Technology, and Emerging Communication will normally complete a minimum of 60 semester credit hours (42 semester credit hours in coursework and 18 semester credit hours in dissertation) beyond a master’s degree, pass doctoral field examinations and complete a dissertation.

For complete admission and degree requirements, view the Graduate Catalog
at catalog.utdallas.edu.

Marketable Skills

Review the marketable skills for this academic program.

Application Requirements

Visit the Apply Now webpage to begin the application process.  

Applicants to the Doctoral degree program should have: 

• A master’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education, with either the BA or MA in a related discipline.
• Normally, a 3.3 GPA from previous coursework.
• 3 letters of recommendation.
• A statement of purpose/essay.
• A portfolio that includes:
  • A 10- to 20-page writing sample.
  • A CV.
  • Any other evidence of scholarly or creative endeavors you would like to provide.
• Each application is considered holistically on its individual merits.
• The Graduate Record Examination is not required. 

Deadline: The application deadline is Jan. 15. All applications completed by the deadline will be reviewed for admission. Applications submitted or completed after Jan. 15 may be reviewed for admission only if spaces remain within the upcoming cohort and will be reviewed in order by the date the application file became complete.